All For Coal
The Dulais
Valley
The Dulais Valley lies between the mountains of Hir Fynydd (the
long mountain) to the east and Mynydd Marchywel and Mynydd-y-Drum
to the west.
For the most part the Dulais river acts as a boundary between
the parishes that include the valley. The Llangatwg or Cadoxton
parish is on the right or east side of the river and the Cilybebill
and Ystradgynlais parishes on the west side.
The early roads were parish roads which were little more than
country lanes. The steeply rising valley prevented the construction
of a canal to exploit the mineral resources of the area as happened
in the valleys adjacent to the Dulais.
The villages and towns in the valley are Aberdulais, Creunant,
Seven Sisters, Pany-y-Ffordd, Onllwyn, Banwen and Coelbren.
Aberdulais
Ulrich Frosse, from Germany established a copper works at
Aberdulais in 1584 to smelt copper ores. Aberdulais was chosen
because of its secluded nature at the head of navigation of the
river Neath and for its nearness to fuel supplies.
After the decline of the copper works a mill was established
which the famous painter William Turner captured in his painting
“The mill at Aberdulais”. In the Victorian period other industries
were developed such as an iron forge and tinplate manufacture. The
present village developed as housing for those industries.
Creunant
The oldest settlement in the Dulais valley.
During the late medieval period circa 1500, a daughter church,
or chapel of ease, of Llangatwg parish church, was opened at
Creunant to serve the needs of the Dulais Valley part of the
parish.
By the 1840’s Creunant had developed into a small hamlet
consisting of the church, non-conformist chapel, an inn, a mill,
and about a dozen other dwellings.
The opening of the Neath and Brecon railway from Neath to
Onllwyn in 1863 led to increased coal mining activity in the
valley.
At Creunant several new mines were opened including the Crynant
colliery, Brynteg colliery 1904, Llwynon colliery 1905, Dillwyn
colliery, and Cefn Coed colliery 1930. These mines led to the
expansion of the village.
Onllwyn
The first industrial village in the Dulais Valley. Coal mining
on a commercial scale first commenced at the Drum colliery in 1823
and was followed in 1841 by the Onllwyn colliery.
The Upper Dulais Valley was very isolated at this time and the
only means of conveying coal and iron out of the valley was by a
horse drawn narrow gauge railway, or tramroad westwards to the
Swansea Valley and the Swansea canal near Ystradgynlais.
An iron works was established in 1844 by London speculators. 44
workers dwellings were erected to accommodate the workforce of
colliers and iron workers and known as front row and back row.
Brickworks and iron foundries were also erected. These
developments formed the nucleus of the village of Onllwyn.
Banwen
Iron making and coal mining created this settlement soon after
the Onllwyn enterprises. Banwen colliery opened in 1845 together
with the erection of the Banwen colliery houses.
A later development was the opening of the larger Maesmarchog
mine and which led to additional workers housing.
Banwen ironworks was established in 1847 but only lasted until
1854 when the works were offered for sale.
The industries at banwen were situated in the Upper Dulais
Valley which had no direct transport links to Neath or the lower
valley before 1863. The industries were linked to the Swansea canal
at Ystradgynlais by a horse drawn railway.
Seven sisters
Mr David Bevan of Neath started sinking a pit on Bryn Dulais
farm in 1872. The pit was completed in 1875. Mr Evan Evans Bevan
the mine owner made a decision to name the pit after his seven
daughters. Hence the name of Seven Sisters.
The colliery worked the nine feet seam, the four feet seam, and
the big vein.
The first houses for the workers were single storey buildings
named Brick Row. These were the first dwellings erected in the new
village of Seven Sisters.
More collieries were opened as the demand for coal increased.
Nant-y-Cafn or Dillwyn colliery in 1884, Henllan colliery 1911 and
Brynteg colliery and brickworks 1885.
All the housing in the new village prior to the 1930’s was for
coal miners, brick workers and railway employees.